Automate YouTube Shorts

Automatically create YouTube Shorts using a simple spreadsheet, a no-code workflow, or programmatically through the API. Generate hundreds or even thousands of Shorts – with or without generative AI – and keep your YouTube channel running on autopilot.

Create YouTube Shorts in bulk
Create YouTube Shorts using no-code tools
Create YouTube Shorts by API

How to Automate YouTube Shorts Creation?

Video automation simplifies the process of creating YouTube Shorts by using templates and dynamic data. With a single video template, you can design your Shorts once and then automatically generate unique videos by inserting AI-generated text, captions, images, video clips, and more. Here's how:

1
Create a YouTube Shorts template

The first step to YouTube Shorts automation is to create a template that serves as the foundation for all your videos. Within this template, you can assign placeholder elements, such as text and media, that will vary from video to video.

While there are many pre-designed templates to choose from, you might prefer to create your own. You can do this in the online template editor, which offers a lot of customization options for animations, text styles, automated subtitles, and more.

01	Spring Sale	Image 1	#4980f1
02	Summer Sale	Image 2	#4980f1
03	Autumn Sale	Image 3	#4980f1
…	…	…	…
99	Holiday Sale	Image 99	#4980f1

99 videos generated

2
Set up an automated workflow

Once your template is ready, you can choose from these three automation methods:

The easiest way is to use a video generation spreadsheet. This allows you to create YouTube Shorts in bulk by importing text, images, and video clips from sources like product catalogs, AI-generated documents, or CSV files. It's especially useful for generating a large batch of shorts at once, such as producing content for an entire month in advance. For a step-by-step guide, check out our tutorial on bulk-creating YouTube Shorts. If you'd like to use generative AI for faceless Shorts with voiceovers, images, and animated subtitles, our tutorial will show you how to create AI-generated videos in bulk.
Another option to automate YouTube Shorts is to use a no-code automation platform like Zapier or Make.com. These platforms integrate with thousands of apps, allowing you to build custom workflows that fit your specific needs. For example, you can automatically generate YouTube Shorts by inserting text and images, and even have the videos posted to your channel without manual effort. And if you want to use AI tools to create faceless Shorts, take a look at our Zapier tutorial, which also covers setting up a custom scheduler, or our Make tutorial for step-by-step instructions.
Alternatively, using the API offers the most flexible approach to YouTube Shorts automation. You can use programming languages such as Javascript, PHP, Ruby, or Python to auto-generate YouTube Shorts directly from your application or script. To get started, check out this guide or this tutorial for using ChatGPT.

3
Automatically generate YouTube Shorts

An automated workflow is simple to set up, and once in place, it greatly increases your productivity when producing YouTube content. In essence, the process is as simple as creating a video design once, then choosing an automation method that works for you. If you're not sure which method to choose, try Zapier or Make.com – both allow you to automate everything from creation to posting without any technical skills.

You can take video automation even further with generative AI. For example, ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity can generate video content from a single topic – whether it's daily motivational quotes, fun facts, short stories, or even full video scripts. From there, you can use ElevenLabs for AI-generated voiceovers, DALL·E for background images, and Creatomate's auto-transcription service to add animated, word-by-word subtitles.

Want to learn how? Check out the tutorials below:

👉 Automate YouTube Shorts with AI-Generated Videos using Zapier
👉 Automate AI-Generated Shorts with Voiceovers, Subtitles, and Images using Make

Frequently asked questions

How can I automate YouTube Shorts?

Automating YouTube Shorts creation is straightforward with a video generation platform like Creatomate. Begin by creating a reusable video design. Then, use a spreadsheet, Zapier or Make workflow, or API integration to insert text, images, and video clips into the template.

What kind of YouTube Shorts can I automate?

You can automate almost any type of YouTube Shorts, provided the design fits within a template. Consider entertaining quiz videos, funny fact stories, educational content, faceless AI-generated shorts, and much more.

Can I use AI to auto-generate YouTube Shorts?

Yes, absolutely! Generative AI is an excellent way to create content for your YouTube Shorts. For example, ChatGPT can generate facts, quotes, quizzes, and more, all related to specific topics. You can also use text-to-speech tools for AI voiceovers and image generators to create background visuals for your videos. To make your videos even more engaging, add animated subtitles as well. To get started, check out our step-by-step tutorials, which cover methods like coding, Zapier, Make, and the spreadsheet approach.

How quickly can I set it up?

No matter which automation method you choose, automatically generating your first YouTube Short can take as little as 15 minutes. Check out this spreadsheet tutorial, this Zapier tutorial, this Make tutorial, or this code guide to get started within minutes.

Which tool is best for automating YouTube Shorts?

We believe Creatomate is the best tool for automating YouTube Shorts. Its online template editor is highly flexible, letting you design videos that align with your unique style and preferences. With three automation methods available, Creatomate has a solution for users of all technical skill levels.

Creatomate also simplifies the use of generative AI for video creation. It integrates seamlessly with leading AI tools like ElevenLabs for voiceovers, DALL·E for images, and Stable Diffusion for video clips. Plus, ChatGPT works smoothly with both Zapier and Make, making it easy to fully automate the process of generating and posting AI-powered YouTube Shorts.